It's been a while since I've had a stab at gathering some films together based on nation of origin. This time, it's Japan. Enjoy (if you like anime and samurai). 10. Unagi [The Eel] (Shohei Imamura - 1997) One of the first non-Kurosawa, Japanese films I'd seen, this perturbed me a bit but gave me a real insight into films from outside the English zone or Europe. Kouji Yakusho in the lead is a top craftsman too. 9. Zatoichi (Takeshi Kitano - 2003) A first look at Takeshi Kitano, a stalwart of the industry in Japan. He plays the blind swordsman with understated relish and this would have been higher in the list were it not for a Bollywood-style dance number at the end. What the... 8. Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa - 1950) Ah, Kurosawa-san, so glad you could make it. This is my third favourite of his but is still a stone-cold classic, with dozens of imitators and respect-payers since its release. Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura are mint as the ba...
Film reviews and podcast discussions.